Trump Cuts Fund to WHO, as Death Toll in US Skyrocket

Tensions have been soared between US President Donald Trump and the World Health Organization (WHO), which he accused of inclining with China to 'cover up' the coronavirus pandemic details.

Hours ago, President Trump has cut funding for the World Health Organization, insisting the agency be held accountable for its ‘failures’ in responding to the Covid-19 crisis, and accusing it of promoting ‘Chinese disinformation’.

“Today I’m instructing my administration to halt funding of the World Health Organization while a review is conducted to assess the … organization’s role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus,” Trump said at a White House briefing on Tuesday, adding that the US has a “duty to insist on full accountability” from the public health body.

Arguing the world health body “failed to obtain, vet and share information in a timely and transparent fashion,” the president said the agency kept vital data under wraps in the early stage of the Covid-19 pandemic for fear of offending authorities in Beijing.

Trump first hinted at his latest stance of halting the WHO’s funding last week, accusing the organization of being “China-centric” and vowing to place a “very powerful hold” on funds while the administration assessed its response to the crisis. The US is the WHO’s top contributor, giving between $400 and $500 million each year, but the president said there were now “deep concerns” that the money has gone to waste.

So far, US has reported the death of more than 26,000 people, with New York fatalities topping the tally. Yesterday, Coronavirus deaths in New York City have spiked by over 3,700 after officials tacked on a group of victims merely suspected of having the virus. The latest figure brings the total number of casualties for New York City to 10,367 deaths. The city joins a growing list of sites counting “probable” cases as infected.

In return, the United Nations has urged continued support for the World Health Organization (WHO) as countries around the globe battle the coronavirus pandemic.

The WHO and its thousands of staff are fighting the health crisis on the front lines, supporting the most vulnerable nations with “concrete life-saving services,” UN Secretary-General  Antonio Guterres wrote in a statement on Tuesday.